Folding partition.



1. T. FAIRHURIST.

FOLDING PARTITION.

APPLICAHON FILED 1AN.27, 1916.

Patented May 1, 1917.

F I" a I" I3 1 vi f i 2, F i g. 3

$1 754 afloweg caries- JOHH' T. FAIRHUEST, 9F BBOGELYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE FOLDING PARTITION GGMEANY, A CORPGEATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1917.

original application filed July 10', 1915, Serial Ho. 39,861. Divided and this application filed January 27,

' 1916. Serial No. 74,558.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. FAIRHURST, a subject of the King of England, residing at the borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of blew if ork, have in vented certain new and useful improvements in Folding Partitions, of which the following is specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to improvements in folding or collapsing partitions. and more particularly has reference to and is especially adapted for use with partitions of the class described where used in buildings for separating rooms or offices and is a division of my copendii1g application Serial No. 39,061.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates in perspective view, partly broken away,an application of my invention as applied to a folding partition such as may be used in dividing off the rooms of a school although of course it will be readily understood that the invention may be applied to cabinets, receptacles or for other similar purposes. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail, partly in cross section and partly broken away, illustrating a device adapted for insuring the proper folding of the sections of the partition, and Fig. 3 is a view of-the same at ri ht angles to the view shown in 2.

a is the frame of the partition, and 55 the lower and upper guides thereof, the guide 5 being cut away as indicated atll to allow the panels or sections such l'7' to pass outwardly for folding. The panel 7 i will be observed is cut away as indicated at 8 to allow clearance for the tongue 9 shown to better advantage in. Fig. 2. This tongue it will be observed is adapted to project downwardly at the side ofthe partition facing the observer looking at Fig. 1 so that unless said tongue is in alinement with said cut away portion such as 8 the partition 'cannot be folded outwardly as shown in Fig. 1 thus insuring the correct position of the sections before the same are folded and preventing the buckling or binding of the same within the guides.

The tongue .9 it will be observed is provided with an elongated cut away portion such as 10 shown to better advantage in Fig.

2 and is provided with the shank 11 adapted to pass upwardly into the recess-12 so that said tongue is normally seated upon the pin 13 and is provided with two opposite tapered sides such as 1 l14 and the tapered side at the back such as 15 from Which'it will be seen that the fiat side 16 engages the top edge orv face of the sections facing the observer looking at Fig. 1; thus making it impossible to fold the sections until the cut 8 is brought into alinement with the tongue 9, otherwise the guide such as 6 might become loose by the section such as 7 in an effort to fold the partition or section before the sections have moved sufliciently to the right looking" at Fig. 1.

.In other words, the fiat side 16 of the 7 0 ton ue 9, which faces the observer looking at Fig. 1 would strike against the inside top edge of the doors or sections 77 when 7 opening the some out, unless the V out 8 is brought in alinement therewith. This insures the opening of the sections or doors in proper position so as not to jam or break away the guide 6. Of course when sliding the doors the beveled sides 1l1415 allow the top of the doors or sectins to push the tongue 9 clear, thus causingno destruction when folding the doors, although insuring proper position of .the doors or sections when being ened as aforesaid.

Of course it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention'as claimed.

I claim: v

1. In combination with a folding parti- 9o tion, a movable member adjacent the top 7 guide thereof, and a cut away portion in one of the sections of said partition adapted to clear said member whereby said sections may be folded only when said member and said cut away portion are in alinement, said member having oppositely tapered surfaces at two sides and a substantially straight and a tapered surface respectively at the other twoopposite sides. Y 10 2. The combination with a folding" partition comprising sections hingedtogether in separate pairs, of means for guidingthe free ends of said sections along the lineinto which the partition is designed to be extended, said guiding means including moldings arranged at either side of the line of extension, one of said moldings terminating at a-distance from the jamb suffioient to permit the pairs of sections to be folded when moved as near as possible to the jamb, and a depending movable latch arranged in line With the shorter molding and having an.

1 abrupt foce presented to the longer molding for preventing the folding of the pairs of sections when moved beyond said shorter molding until after the sections nearer the jamb have been completely folded, one sec-- tion of each pair-having LXIOl/Ch adapted to registe; with said latch When said pair being the next to be folded is advanoed into close proximity to the folded sect-ions the edges of. said latch being inclined to permit l the other section of each pair to ride over the same in folding and rnfolding.

In testimony 'whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN T. FAIRHURST.

Witnesses i lionisn ENDEnLn, THoMAs A. HILL. 

